Any information on this one??? I only found one but nothing on it. Strange mark.
It's really well built, but the mark it's nothing like I ever seen before. All of ti its hand painted.
any information on it will be of much help.
Thank you in advance.
Right, it is strange. Shape and colors not Chinese looking, as does the marking on the bottom. Possibly made elsewhere.
Hi Peterp,
Yeah I had a hard time finding any information on it. The shape its like a horseshoe with dragons over waters. I only found two similar online but with different signs. So it's probably some mass produced item. Thank you for taking the time to reply.
The sign says 'double happiness'. Perhaps this was a jewelry box for a wedding.
The horseshoe has no meaning, auspicious or other, in Chinese culture. Actually, I have never seen anything of that shape.
I am not even sure if horseshoes did exist in old China. Roads were usually dirt roads, so horseshoes might not have found much use at all to protect the horses' feet. Further, horses were only used by few people; two-wheel carts were only seldom used. There were no four wheelers.
The normal traffic means for the people was the feet and palanquins, while goods were carried more often than not by men.
I have seen similar marks on Worcester blue and white, if it is, it would be a painters mark.
Hey guys, thank you for your answers. One of my guess its also that is some type of european porcelain. The inside of the box has some flowers that are very common in german or french designs. But still its a weird place to put the flowers inside a horseshoe shaped box with water and flying dragons. Anyways, maybe one day i'll know who did this. thank you all.